Think Gen Z invented the “baddie aesthetic”? Think again. Birthday girl Aishwarya Rai is the OG fashionista. She nailed the Gen Z aesthetic way before it was a thing. Here is looking at how the birthday girl, who turns 52 today, made Gen Z fashion popular even before it was a thing.
How Aishwarya nailed the Gen Z aesthetic even before it was a thing
Let’s start with Jeans (1998). Before “Y2K” fashion even had a label, Aishwarya was already living it. From those iconic bandanas to her edgy chokers, she was already nailing looks that have now been picked up in 2025.
Even the Denim-on-denim trend, which has been picked by many Gen Z celebs like Janhvi Kapoor and Tara Sutaria, was a style owned and nailed by Aishwarya back in the 90s.
Then came ‘Taal’, where her looks were soft, effortless, with minimal makeup, and those dreamy pastel outfits. This is when she brought to life the “clean girl aesthetic” long before it became an internet trend.
In the 1997 film ‘Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya’, she completely switched it up with the preppy-girl vibe. Think collared tops, cute skirts, and neatly styled hair, all staples in Gen Z’s Pinterest boards today. It’s wild how her '90s wardrobe could walk straight into 2025 and still look relevant.
Even pearl blouses and hoop earrings were Rai staples
She did not stop at aceing the ‘baddie’ and ‘preppy girl’ aesthetic; she also went on to wear pearl blouses, hoop earrings, and statement headbands through her many films. Whether she was playing the sweet girl next door or the confident modern woman, she carried each look with an ease that made it unforgettable.
On the work front
Meanwhile, on the work front, Aishwarya Rai was last seen in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ franchise, alongside Chiyaan Vikram, Trisha Krishnan, Ravi Mohan, and Sobhita Dhulipala. Produced by Ratnam and Allirajah Subaskaran under Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, it is the first of two cinematic parts based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1955 novel Ponniyin Selvan and had released in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi in cinemas.
